What To Do If Your Child Has A Fit Or Convulsion

If your child has a fit or a convulsion, they may suddenly become rigid, with staring eyes. Sometimes their eyes will roll and their limbs will twitch and jerk. Or they may suddenly go floppy. The following suggestions will help you deal with the fit:

Keep calm.

Lie your child on their side to make sure they don’t vomit or choke. Don’t put anything in their mouth. If you think they’re choking on food or an object, try to remove it.

Remove your child’s clothing and any coverings and make sure they’re cool but not chilly.

Most fits will stop within three minutes. When it’s over, reassure your child, make them comfortable and call a doctor.

If the fit hasn’t stopped within three minutes, call 999. If it stops but it was your child’s first fit, take them to the nearest accident and emergency department to be checked over.

Don’t panic. Fits need to last longer than 30 minutes for there to be any risk of brain damage.

Even if it’s not the first time and your child recovers quickly, let your GP know that your child has had a fit.

Although fits may look alarming, they’re common in children under the age of three. Although there are other reasons why children have a fit, a high temperature is the most common trigger. Therefore, ensure to keep your child’s fever down by offering paracetamol.

Fever fits, also known as febrile convulsions, become increasingly less common after the age of three and are almost unknown after the age of five. Febrile convulsions aren’t usually connected with epilepsy. Read more about febrile convulsions.